Method and device for publishing cross-network user behavioral data

Abstract

The present invention relates to summarizing cross-network user behavioral data. The summarizing cross-network user behavioral data may particularly include publishing the data to one or more data structures that become accessible to a server hosting an authorized domain when a user accesses the authorized domain.

We claim: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method, implemented, at least in part, by a client computer, the method comprising:
 collecting, by the client computer, cross-network user behavior data related to a user's interactions on the client computer with a plurality of web sites; 
 summarizing, by the client computer, the collected cross-network user behavior data on the client computer; 
 publishing, by the client computer, the summarized cross-network user behavior data on the client computer to one or more memory structures on the client computer; and 
 in response to the user accessing an authorized domain via the client computer via a network, providing, by the client computer, at least some of the summarized cross-network user behavior data in the one or more memory structures on the client computer to a server at the authorized domain. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the summarizing includes, for a plurality of subject categories, one or more of:
 categorizing recency of the user visiting a web site on the client computer in at least some of the plurality of subject categories, 
 categorizing user category involvement from the user visiting the website on the client computer in at least some of the subject categories by rolling up indicators of visits into categorical time segments, 
 categorizing recency of selections of at least one banner advertisement on the client computer, or 
 categorizing user category involvement from user selections of the at least one banner advertisement on the client computer. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the categorizing the user category involvement includes rolling up the indicators of visits into nonoverlapping categorical time segments of differing lengths. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the categorizing the user category involvement includes representing granular time segments with flags to indicate user category involvement during the granular time segment and summarizing a portion of the granular time segments by aggregation into categorical time segments. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prioritizing a plurality of subject categories, 
 selecting at least one subject category of the plurality of subject categories, and 
 publishing the summarized cross-network user behavior data for the plurality of subject categories to a single memory structure. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-network user behavior data includes data relating to visits to the plurality of web sites or selections of banner advertisements that are not all associated with a behavioral data collection network. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-network user behavior data is further related to selections of banner advertisements that are not all associated with the portal. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-network user behavior data includes data relating to visits to the plurality of web sites or selections of banner advertisements that are not all associated with a virtual storefront. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-network user behavior data is further related to selections of banner advertisements that are not all associated with the content provider. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-network user behavior data includes data relating to behavioral data corresponding to a plurality of visits to the plurality of web sites or selections of banner advertisements that are not all associated with a behavioral data collection network. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the publishing takes place on a periodic basis. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the publishing takes place in response to one or more web site visit or one or more banner advertisement selection. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, receiving at the client computer a message or an advertisement targeted using the summarized cross-network user behavior data published to the one or more memory structures on the client computer. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-network user behavior data includes data relating to entries of a URL in a browser address window of the client computer, or selections of a URL hyperlink. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory structures include one or more cookies. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, compressing and encrypting the summarized cross-network user behavior data in the one or more memory structures on the client computer. 
     
     
       17. A client computer to publish cross-network user behavior data, the client computer comprising:
 at least one or more processor coupled to one or more memory structures, the at least one or more processor configured to:
 collect cross-network user behavior data related to a user's interactions on the client computer with a plurality of web sites; 
 summarize the collected cross-network user behavior data on the client computer; 
 publish the summarized cross-network user behavior data on the client computer to the one or more memory structures on the client computer; and 
 in response to the user accessing an authorized domain via the client computer via a network, provide at least some of the summarized cross-network user behavior data in the one or more memory structures on the client computer to a server at the authorized domain. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The client computer of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one or more processor is further configured to:
 prioritize a plurality of subject categories, 
 select at least one subject category of the plurality of subject categories, and 
 publish the summarized cross-network user behavior data for the plurality of subject categories to a single memory structure. 
 
     
     
       19. The client computer of  claim 17 , wherein the cross-network user behavior data includes data relating to visits to the plurality of web sites or selections of banner advertisements that are not all associated with a behavioral data collection network. 
     
     
       20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a client computer to perform operations comprising:
 collecting cross-network user behavior data related to a user's interactions on the client computer with a plurality of web sites; 
 summarizing the collected cross-network user behavior data on the client computer; 
 publishing the summarized cross-network user behavior data on the client computer to one or more memory structures on the client computer; and 
 in response to the user accessing an authorized domain via the client computer via a network, providing at least some of the summarized cross-network user behavior data in the one or more memory structures on the client computer to a server at the authorized domain.